Apparatus for making vinegar



, UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

`OSCAR F.BOOMER AND HENRY R. RANDALL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

APPARATUSK FOR MAKING VINEGAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,764, dated January18, 1881.

Application filed November 6, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, OsoAR'F. BooMER andHENRY R. RANDALL, both citizens of the United States, residing atBrooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented newand useful Improvements in Vinegar-Making Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for the conversion of a'`suitable liquid into vinegar by exposure to air. Its object is toprovide, in a small space, a great ,extent of surface over which theliquid must iow, be exposed to the air, and brought in contact withvinegar ferment or spores.

It consists in the'arrangement, in a vinegar apparatus, of one or moreseries of shelves covered with cloth or other fibrous material, oneabove another in such position that a liquid will flow from one shelf tothe next lower after traversingthe threads of the cloth or brouscovering, a portion of said liquid, and of the vinegar ferment or sporesbeing retained in the meshes of the cloth or other fibrous material, andinducing a speedy fermentation in fresh liquid coming in` contacttherewith and with the air, as hereinafter more particularly describedwith reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is avertical section of an apparatus constructed according to our invention.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line w of Fig. 1; andFig. 3 is adetail view of one of the shelves surrounded by a cloth covering.

The letter A designates a box or chest, which may be of any desiredsize, and preferably rectangularin shape. Within this box or chest arearranged several vertical series of shelves B, extending between andhaving their ends secured to the sidewalls. These shelves are slightlycurved transversely on top, and the several series are sepa-rated bysuitable spaces. From the bottom of each shelf projects a longitudinalrib, O, preferably triangular in cross-section, and each shelf, with (Nomodel.)

its rib, is surrounded by a covering, D, of cloth or other fibrousmaterial, fitting closely upon its curved top, but held away from itsunder surface by the rib, so that two converging cloth surfaces meet atan angle under each shelf', this angle being directly above thelongitudinal center of the top ot' the next lower shelf and at a littledistance therefrom. Near the top and bottom of the chest suitableairholes G are formed in its walls to permit a proper supply of air toenter; but we may cause a downward iow of air through the chest by meansof a suitable blower, as shown .at H, the lower air-holes in the wall ofthe chest vbeing closed when the blower is connected to the bottom ofsaid chest, as shown, and vice versa.

When the liquid is fed from asnitable source into the troughs F ittrickles through the slits orr openings in the top of the chest, fallsupon the tops of the top shelves, and Hows side-wise in both directionsuntil the brous coverings are thoroughly saturated, when it trickles offat the angles under the shelves and falls upon those below, this actioncontinuing until it finally reaches the lowest angles and drops into thetank. During its passage a portion of the ferment or spores is retainedin the meshes of the cloth or other brous covering, and induces a rapidfermentation of fresh liquid, which comesin contact with it and the airin the chest while making its way downward over the shelves andcoverings.

We are aware that in vinegar-making apparatus cloth has been used tocover a filteringshelf, and that the liquid has been caused to traversea series of shelves, falling from one to another; and we do not claim,broadly, the cloth-covered shelf, nor an apparatus provided with avertical series of shelves to be traversed by the liquid.

What we claim is- 1. In a vinegar-making apparatus, one or more seriesof shelves covered with cloth or other fibrous material, and arrangedone above another in such manner that the liquid will our hands andseals in the presence of two fall from one shelf, after traversing itand its subscribing witnesses. covering, upon the next lower, andtraverse it OSCAR F. BOOMER. IL. S. and its covering` in a like manner,substan- HENRY R. RANDALL. [L S. tially as described, and for thepurpose set Witnesses to the signature of Oscar F. forth. Boomer:

2. The combination, with one or more series THOS. B. CLIFFORD, ofshelves, B, provided with the ribs C, of the EDWARD D. BETTENS. clothcoverings I), forming;r downward projec- Witnesses tothe signature ofHenry lilianxo tions under the shelves, substantially as and dall:

for the purpose set forth.

JAMES LVNORRIS, In testimony whereof we have hereunto set J AMES A.RUTHERFORD.

